Letter from Wilfred Bion to Francesca, August 1, 1965. The Other Side of Genius: Family Letters

My darling,

… We were lucky. It was fine till Newmarket. Then it began to spot. Then it began to rain. By Brandon the heavens opened and it became impossible to see more than 20 yards and soon it cut down to ten yards and going dead slow because it was hard to see a car in front. Goodbye, I thought, to my plans of lunch in the open. Which was very sad because Nicola began to get sick at just past Six Mile Bottom. And of course the poor dears, Parthenope and Julian, made things worse by becoming terribly anxious till I had to cut the discussion very short. With rumblings we proceeded on our nauseating way till within five miles of Swaffham when it began to clear. I shot them all into the church to look at the roof.2 When they got back some twenty minutes later they had all recovered their equanimity and Nicola had some colour. We went on and some four miles later it was hot and sunny. As I had planned to have lunch at Castle Acre it seemed too good to be true. By Castle Acre not even the roads were wet and we drove into the Priory, took out our lunch and ate it in the precincts in the hot sun, with a cloudless sky and perfect lawns. It was glorious and a good lunch was had by all.

We got to the Cottage by 4.30. There had been a shower or so but mostly brilliant sun. The garden looks very good. I had forgotten the roses would be pretty much in their glory …

… I hope the builder realizes that it won't be enough to have sound-proof windows in front and a wall that is not.3 It is obvious

that the noise in front of the house is going to be drilling more or less indefinitely; they seem to like digging up Wells Rise.

There is some minimal grumble about no TV and therefore nothing to do but join the family for a walk. It makes me wonder if this means there has been too much TV so far. Certainly the air has been less hectic and a bit more peaceful without, but